Heartless copper thieves steal from California Little Leagues — and now seasons could get canceled

Heartless copper thieves are targeting California Little League teams — with the crime wave threatening to derail upcoming baseball seasons for kids.

The thieves have been ripping off Little League parks’ electrical boxes and lines for stadium lights, which is threatening teams planning night games and practices, according to The Athletic.

“Everyone’s schedule will be shrunk down, we’re going to have to trim back games,” Long Beach Little League President Doug Wittman told The 562. “We’re already losing practice times this week and we’re overloaded with about 600 kids this year. The loss of the lights will really hurt.”

The East Long Beach Pony League in Heartwell Park and the Village Baseball Little League in Lakewood’s San Martin Park have also endured copper thefts within the last month as prices for the metal soar and it’s seeing increasing demand for new tech.

Long Beach Little League vice president Adriel Tedesco told The Athletic that he’s taking the thefts personally.

“It’s a feeling of being violated,” he said.

Tedesco and Wittman’s league is Little League royalty, and the only US based-team to win the Little League World Series in back-to-back years. They expect to compete for the title on an annual basis.

But the loss of their stadium’s power has forced them into drastic measures to prevent any further thefts, reports said.

“We’ve talked about people pulling overnight shifts at the park,” he told The Athletic. “Having volunteer sign-up sheets to do overnighters.

“It should not have to come to that,” he added.

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Leaders for Village Little League and the East Long Beach Pony League said losing their stadium lights will cause them to miss games.

“Without the lights, the kids can’t play,” East Long Beach Pony League president Steve Esquivel told The Athletic. “Baseball, ELB, it’s a family. We pride ourselves on having a community feel and everyone loves each other.”

California lawmakers took action last year with the passage of Assembly Bill No. 476, which requires businesses purchasing “junk” metal, which can include copper, to obtain more information about where it came from.

The law also strengthened penalties as a result of violating the statute.

The Long Beach Police Department told The Athletic that they’re “actively investigating” the incidents and is “committed to identifying those responsible and holding them accountable.”

“We recognize the impact these incidents have on residents and families who rely on these shared spaces,” the department said, “especially our Long Beach youth who use our baseball fields, and we take these incidents seriously.”

In the meantime, officials are considering placing concrete over where thieves can access copper wires but the

But thieves have resorted to digging holes in the ground away from the concrete to access the wires, and stealing them from there.